Every Other Weekend
by ivane-818
Summary: Edward and Bella are divorced with 2 kids... Bella hasn't seen him in almost 10 years. What happens when they have to meet up and look each other in the eyes as the pass the kids back and forth? Full summary inside. Starts out a bit sad, but it gets bette
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, guys this one is a bit new, for you and me both. If it sucks, please tell me. But I'm hoping it'll be up to par with all of you guys standards… **

**Summary: Bella and Edward are divorced with two children. Edward gets the kids every other weekend, and Bella keeps them at any other time. Edward supposedly cheated on Bella, and after she found out, she moved and hardly ever spoke to him again. What do they do when they have to meet up and look each other in eyes to pass their kids back and forth? All human**

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BPOV

"Mom! Wake up, Its Friday and I have to be at school early for my Eco-Warriors group. Come on!" I heard Allie, my 14-year-old daughter, call as she steadily shook me awake. You know, I love the kid, but sleep sometimes necessary.

"Lets GO, Mom." And apparently, now was not one of those times.

"Alright, Allie, I'm up." I said groggily as I swung my legs off the edge of my bad and sat up. Not the best idea. Now my head was throbbing and I couldn't see straight.

I waited until my head cleared and slowly stood from my bed. I walked into the bathroom to begin my every morning routine. I took a quick shower to make sure the kids weren't destroying the house, and sure enough something was broken by the time I got downstairs.

"Jamie, what did I tell you about using glass cups?" I asked my 9-year-old son while picking up the shattered glass that was strung across the kitchen floor.

"Don't use them unless an adult is around." He said guiltily as he scooted the chair back into its rightful place. He had a little thing about climbing on chairs now, and it wasn't to my house's advantage. He was a troublemaker and he knew it. I looked into his big green eyes and couldn't help but instantly forgive him. Those eyes were my undoing and both my kids knew it. I looked away quickly before my thoughts could turn elsewhere.

I got a broom and swept up the rest of the glass and then turned back to the cupboard. I got down a plastic and filled it with juice for Jamie and sat it on the table. Then I got down 2 bowls and a box of Applejacks. Filling both bowls halfway full, I called to Jamie and Allie to come and eat breakfast. I got the milk out and expertly poured the perfect amount into each bowl. You get used to this kind of thing after 14 years of doing it…

"Mom, Jamie won't give me my DS game back." Allie whined as she walked into the kitchen.

"Jamie, give your sister her game back." I called, not exactly sure where he was.

"Fine." He huffed as he too walked into the kitchen. He sat down and slid the game across the table. Allie quickly picked it up and put in her pocket, all the time sporting a smug smile. For the next few minutes the only sound there was was the sound of spoons scraping along the bowls and the crunching sound they made the chewed their food. Then I had to ask the inevitable.

"Do you have all your stuff ready for your dads house? We're leaving to take to him right after school so you need to have everything ready and in the car." I said, trying as hard as I could to make it sound casual and like I didn't care, when in all truth, it was exactly the opposite.

"We're leaving right after school?" Allie said excitingly. It tore my heart out that she was so excited to go away, but happy that she liked being with her dad.

"Yeah. You need to make sure you have everything." I said with finality, letting them know that was the last of the discussion.

"Well, all I have to do is put my bag in the car." Jamie said.

"Then you better get on that." I said, and then I left the room and walked up to my room. As soon I stepped into the room, I looked around, noting the fact that it was barren and seemed so lonely. It wasn't homey, it wasn't comfortable. It was kind of like a new hotel room. Just a place to sleep and keep my clothes.

I quickly turned my thoughts away from where they were heading and walked back downstairs to see the kids all read to go, backpacks, bags, jackets, all of it.

"You sure you got everything?" I asked them both.

"Yep." They said in unison. I looked at Allie, her big green eyes shining with excitement and her brown her tumbling over her shoulders. She was getting to the age of adolescence now, and she looked so mature compared to last year. Her cheekbones were prominent, her chest filling out, her hips steadily gaining more curves. My little girl was growing up, and much too fast. And Jamie. Jamie was not an accident, but he was definitely a surprise. A present from someone I left not but one week after his conception. There was no doubt who his dad was, with his big green eyes and shiny bronze hair. He looked just like his dad. And his dad wasn't too happy when he found out I had kept his son from him.

I, once again, had to tear my thoughts away from the constant path they seemed to follow. I opened the door and walked down the walkway to the car, unlocking the doors as I went.

I reached into the drivers seat and popped the trunk. After we had gotten their bags into the back of the car and everyone had gotten situated with their seatbelts, we were out of the driveway, and off the Forks Jr. High, where I would drop off Allie. Then to Forks Elementary where I would drop Jamie off.

After I had told Jamie I would be back to pick him up at 3, I drove to Hastings. I didn't have to be at work until 10, so I could waste some time…

(Couple hours later)

I walked into Jasper's office and threw down the packet I had in my hand. It landed smack in the middle of his desk.

"There's you're new story. Completely typed, edited, re-typed, and everything else (AN: I have no idea how the publishing process goes.) so now that's 9 books this week, one book being 937 pages long. Pay up." I said in a smug voice. We had made a bet to see who could more books published this week, and anything over 750 pages long counted as 2 books. So technically, I had published 10 books this week.

"Well done Bella. I have to say, 10 books is impressive." He said, but something about his voice made me suspicious. He then turned around and pulled a huge stack of documents. They made a loud thump when they hit the desk and I flinched.

"But this, Bella, is true hard work. 14 books, 3 of which have 829 pages, 752 pages, and 794 pages. That's 17 books."

I was astounded to say the least. 17 books in one week? Holy Crow.

"752 pages? Come on, Jas-"

"You said anything over 750. 752 is over 750. So pay up, darling." He said as he held his hand out.

"Oh, fine, you win." I huffed and dug in my pocket for the 50 that I had gotten earlier just in case I did lose. Good thing I went to the bank. Its not that losing the money hurt me financially, oh no, I was secure in that area, but my ego was now severely wounded. Jasper was new here and I had been working here for years, and he just comes in here and beats me at what I do best. Curse him.

"Well, I gotta go. Alice wants me to go shopping with her. Stupid pixie is going to end up killing me." I said as I turned to walk away. "You know, you should consider meeting her, she's really fun to be around. I don't thin anyone would be able to not like Alice."

"Yeah, well, when you meet Rosalie, I'll meet Alice." He said, and his tone indicated challenge.

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Whitlock?" I asked.

"Oh, no, I just don't think you could ever handle my sister." He responded, throwing in his snide, smug look he always gives me before we make a bet.

"I say I can." I said, full of confidence that I could handle just about anyone after raising 2 kids.

"I say you can't. You put up with her for 30 minutes without leaving or any negativity, you can have your 50 bucks back. Make her smile; I'll throw in another 20. Make her laugh, and you get 100." He said. I looked at him and weighed my options. I wasn't losing anything, so what was the harm?

"You just made the worst deal of your life Jazz." I said as I shook his hand to confirm the deal. "When?" I asked.

"This Saturday. Shorty Smalls. 7 o'clock."

"Sounds good." I said. I turned around and started to leave, going to the back room to get my stuff and leave. Stupid pixie and her shopping addiction. It was at the end of that thought that my phone rang.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Where the hell are you?" Alice asked, clearly annoyed.

"I'm walking out the door Alice, now I'm walking to your car. Hi." I said as I waved at her bright yellow Porsche. I instantly heard the dial tone. I guess she was done talking. I walked to the passenger side and climbed into her car.

"Don't get sassy with me, Miss-I-think-I'll-be-5-minutes-late. I've been sitting out here forever." She said.

"What time did you get here?" I asked.

"2:10" She said.

"Alice, Its only 2:18. You've been sitting for 8 minutes."

"That minutes that could have been spent driving then shopping. I guess we'll just have to spend extra time in the mall to make up for the lost time that we had earlier." She said happily. I just sighed. I wasn't getting out of this one.

"Alice, I can only stay with you until 2:45, then I have to go get the kids. I'll be back at around 5, so we can do something then." I said to her.

"Oh, alright. Lets go get you something to eat then. I know you haven't been eating lately." She said looking at me disapprovingly. I gasped.

"I have to been eating!" I said loudly.

"Not as much as you should and you know it. You've only been eating dinner if that. I'm not stupid, Bella, you're losing weight faster than is healthy." She said, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm sorry. I'm just stressed lately. I can't keep anything down, and everything just seems out of place." I said quietly.

"What are you stressed about?"

"The kids. Them going to stay with Edward. Jamie's first time meeting him. And Allie is so excited to see him again. After 6 months of them staying with him every other weekend, the judge is going to let them decide who they want to stay with, me or him. I don't want them to leave me Alice."

"Bella, they're not going to leave you. I don't think they would ever do that. Those kids love you more than life." She whispered.

"They could though. They could leave and never want to see me again." I was surprised she heard me on that one.

"They wont do that Bella. They won't leave." She said, trying to reassure me.

I just nodded, sucking it up and pushing it to the back of my mind just like everything else these past years. I just had to deal with it and move on.

Alice pulled into McDonalds and I quite complaining after she said 'I needed to take in as many calories as possible for my next missed meal.' I didn't feel like arguing after that.

I ate my food and made sure all the leftover trash was wrapped up in the bag so I could throw it away when I got out of the car. She pulled up beside my car and leaned over to give me hug. We said our goodbyes and I told her I'd see her tonight. She agreed and I stepped out of her car and into mine.

It was 2:50 so I had to drive fast to make it to the school by 3:10. If I showed up later than that, the teachers got mad me for 'neglecting my child'. I was NOT neglecting my child, I was just running a little late.

I pulled up to the pick up station and almost instantly, Jamie was in the back seat. Then I drove to the other pick up station, and Allie jumped in too.

I greeted them as usual and then we drove in silence for a while, only the CD player giving us sound. Then Jamie spoke.

"What does he look like?" He asked, and I tensed. I took a deep breath and steadied myself. I reached into the side door pocket and pulled out a mirror and passed it back to him.

"Just like that." I said. It was the easiest way to do it.

"Me? He looks like me?" He asked.

"Almost identical." I said. "And your sister looks a lot like him too, but she has my hair color. But she has his eyes, his features." I said.

I was happy that they looked like him. They were both beautiful. But it was a constant reminder of our past, and that was something I didn't want to relive. But I didn't love them any less for it. They were my kids. I would still love them if they had 3 heads.

45 minutes later, and we were pulling into the parking lot of Seattle High School, the place we were meeting.

I looked around and noticed that unmistakable silver Volvo. I turned the wheel and pulled in a couple spots away from him. I watched as the car door opened and he stepped out, with the same gracefulness he had 10 years ago.

He was still gorgeous. He sure didn't look 30. He looked about 23, 25 at he most. Slender frame, but still strong. Untidy hair, just like his son, and sparkling green eyes. Those eyes got me into so much trouble. He got into so much trouble. But I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

"He does look like me." I heard Jamie say. I just nodded and opened my door, signaling for them to do the same. The climbed out as I popped the trunk and went to get their bags.

"Let me help." Said a velvet voice that I knew only too well. I jumped. What did you expect? The guy just sneaks up randomly on you? Jeez…

I just nodded again, unable to speak, and grabbed Allie's bag and carried to his car. I watched as he lifted Jamie's bag with ease and walked to the side door to pop open the trunk. I lifted the trunk door and threw in the bag, Jamie's bag following not long after.

I walked over to the kids and stood behind them. I was guessing introductions were in order…

"Well this is Allie, and this is Jamie." I said and waved to each of them in turn. Allie leaped onto Edward and hugged him. He smiled and whispered 'I missed you too.' After he let go of her, she walked back to me and gave me a hug, said bye, and went and got in the back of his car. Then Edward bent down to Jamie

"Hey Jamie. I'm Edward." He said and stuck he hand for him to shake. Jamie looked proud to be treated like an adult and took his dads hand and shook it. Once they dropped their hands, Edward pointed to Jamie's Nintendo DS.

"What's that?" He asked.

"It's my DS. I have a lot of games for it. Wanna see? I've got one for shooting, racing cars, racing boats, racing four-wheelers, racing dirt bikes, fishing, and a bunch of others." Jamie said.

"Well, why don't you show me those when we get to my house? Then you show me everything they do."

"Alright." Jamie said and then turned to give me a hug, said bye, and went to go get in the car with his sister.

Edward straightened up and I realized again for the first in years, how much taller he was than me. I crossed my arms and hugged myself tight to keep me from doing anything to him. Like jumping on him.

I saw him swallow hard, and look toward the car, then turn back to me.

"Thanks for doing this. It's nice to finally get to meet him and see her again. And, Bella, I really am sorry." He said, and gosh did my name sound good coming from him.

"Don't thank me. They're your kids too; you have every right to them. And Allie really wanted to see you too. I think Jamie was sort of scared, didn't know what to expect I suppose. Please don't let them have too much candy, and don't let them get hurt." I said quickly. Yeah, I was ranting, but it was either that or stay completely silent.

"Don't worry, the only danger I'll let them be around is Emmett, and I'm still debating on that one too." He said.

I smiled at the memory of Emmett. Playful, big bear Emmett. I missed him.

"Well, I better get going. See you Sunday." I said and then turned and almost ran to the car. I got to my door and looked back to see my kids waving at me from the back seat of his car. I waved back to them and gave them my happiest smile. I watched them drive away, and then slid into my car. I suddenly felt empty. There were no kids in my back seat, like there had been for the past 14 year. There was no arguing, no bickering, no fighting. You want it all to go away until it finally does, then you want it all back.

I drove back to Forks with the radio off, in complete silence. I was in a daze. My thoughts were clouding and repetitive. I stayed on the road though, no swerving, nothing like that. I just drove home and collapsed on the coach. Today had been a roller coaster. And it was only the beginning.

I heard a knock on my door and went and opened it. I saw Alice standing there in her pajamas with two tubs of ice cream. I smiled. I had the best friend on the planet Earth…

--

**Well, I don't have kids, I've never been divorced, I don't know what its like, I'm just going on what I think it would be like, especially for Edward and Bella. And yes, I know Bella and Edward would never get divorced. But this story to point out that people make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes can be completely exaggerated and misunderstood. Just bare with me, it gets better. Promise. **

**Who could keep Bella and Edward apart? Seriously?**

**Alrighty, well let me know what you think! Should I keep it? Or just throw it out and try something new??**

**If there are grammar mistakes—Sorry!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

BPOV

"How'd you know?" I asked her as she walked past me and sat the ice cream on the table.

"Bella, I'm your best friend. I know almost everything about you." Then she turned and looked at me, "And I just asked myself what I would want if I just been through what you went through, and so here I am." She said. I smiled. She knew me too well.

"Well, thanks. I'm going to go change." I said, and walked up the stairs to my room to change into a set of pj's that were extremely comfortable, but still fashionable. If they weren't, Alice would have killed me, best friend or no.

When i was changing I heard the phone ring and just thought 'Alice will get it' and continued to change clothes. I came back downstairs to see Alice sitting on my couch with the ice cream buckets open and two spoons sitting beside them. She was curled up on the couch talking on the phone.

"Yeah, baby she's here. Do you want to talk to her? Ok, well hold on. You know I love you right? Yes, I know I've said it three times, but I want it to be engraved your mind. Haha. Alright, well here she is. Hold on." She had stood up and walked over to me and was now holding the phone out to me. I took and gave her a questioning look and she mouthed "Allie" back to me.I took the phone and held it to my ear, waiting for the worst.

"Hello?" I asked, making sure she was still there.

"Hey, Mom." My daughter said through the phone. I smiled at her voice.

"Hey, baby. How's everything going?"

"It's good. Dad is being really cool. He let me be on the computer longer than I was supposed to be, but I didn't mind. And he took me to Barnes and Noble to get that new book I wanted! But not only that, he let me pick out 8 books, and let Jamie get as many as he wanted! then we came here to his house and he's been playing with Jamie on his DS since we got in. He's cooking now... I never pictured my dad cooking." She said, and I almost died at how she used the dad for him so easily. I was overjoyed and heartbroken at the same time...

"Thats good. Don't be on the computer too much, its bad for your eyes. And be sure to tell me everything about those books... I want to know which ones are really good." I said, my voice slightly shaking.

"Alright, Mom, I will." She said happily.

"Ok, Allie, can I talk to Jamie for a minute now?" I asked and then I heard her pass the phone to her brother.

"Hello?" I heard him say, and he was clearly distracted.

"Jamie, pause the game for a minute so you can talk." I heard the music last a little longer then go silent.

"Sorry, Mom." He said sheepishly.

"Its alright baby. How are things going?"

"Things are good. Dad played games with me. I beat him everytime." He said smugly.

I smiled. Why had kept these kids from they're dad for so long? They seemed so happy. And I wasn't there to be part of it...

I shook my head. I left him for a reason. And he's over me, there's nothing there for us anymore.

"Thats good Jamie" I said, only just holding back the tears. I could hear the rumble of Edwards voice in the background, and the lovable laughter that I knew was Allie's follow not long after. "Hey, Jamie, let me talk to Edward." I wasn't able to tell him 'Dad' like most Moms did for their kids...

"Ok. Hang on..." I heard him get up and walk across the floor then I heard Jamie say 'Here' and I prepared myself for the soothing sound of his voice.

"Hello?" Sure enough, velvet flowed through the phone.

"Hey, be sure Jamie goes bed by at least 11 or he'll sleep all day tomorrow. And Allie can't have blueberries, even though she'll throw a fit for them. She's alergic. Make sure they both brush their teeth tonight and tomorrow morning. Remind Allie that she has that report due next Tu-"

"Bella, did you call to check up on us, or give us orders?" Edward asked, with that arrogant tone he loved to throw at me.

"Well its things that typical parents need to know Edward. You haven't been with them that long, I just thought I'd help." Ok, that was low. But he deserved it after taking that tone with me. They may be his kids, but if they're going to stay with him, he needs to grow up...

"I didn't choose not see them, you-"

"You didn't exactly fight for them either Edward." I said, cutting him off from his next sentence. "You try raising 2 kids by yourself. No one helped me raise them two. I struggled and I worked, and everything is really good right now. You screw this up, and I swear-"

"Bella, I promise you, this is the last thing I want to screw up. I want to be able to see my kids." He sounds so defeated then. So, of course, I took pity on him.

"Alright. Please make sure they don't get hurt though." I said, my tone going soft to show I understood him.

"Ok. I'll take care of them, don't worry." he said. "I'll talk to you later, I guess. But I've gotta go. So, Bye."

"Bye" I repeated, and then clicked the End button and sat the phone on the couch. I could tell Alice had been listening because right at that moment she came back into the living from wherever she had been.

"They'll be fine, Bella." She said as she sat down next to me. I nodded and picked up the remote turning on the DVD player, knowing already what was in there. I picked up my ice cream and spoon and took the tip off. I pushed play on the remote and watched as the underwater camera moved through the window to get a better look at the fireplace.

--

EPOV (alright, so I don't know if I'm going to do that many of these because I'm not a guy and I don't think I can get it right. But every once in a while wont hurt.)

She's changed. Man, has she changed.

She's older, more mature. And she's over me. She's noved on to bigger and better things. When we met up, she didn't more than a few words to me. All she did was tell me what the kids needed. No Hi, Bye, Nothing. We didn't touch, so apparently talking was out of the question. Theres too many years between us now. I should have done something before now. If only she knew she was wrong. She misunderstood. I never cheated on her. I would never do that to her. But she wanted to leave, and I let her. And when she left, she was pregnant, and I didn't know until 3 years later. I never got to see my baby boy grow up.

And my daughter. She was 5 last time I saw her. Now she's 14, a young girl. 2 more years and she'd be Bella's age when she got pregnant with her. She's so young. We were so young.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of screaming. I ran into the living room to find Allie holding her brothers game above his head where he couldn't reach it.

"Whats going on? Allie, what are you doing?" I asked

"He took my Sims CD and wont give it back. I don't know where he hid it, but he's got it, I know he does. So he doesn't get his DS back until I get my Sims back." She said calmly. Oh she was just like her mother. Devious and terrifyingly calm. I walked over to her and snatched the game from her outstretched hand.

"Jamie, go get your sisters game." I said. I knew he had it too. Emmett and I used to play this game all the time. Still do sometimes...

Jamie ran up the stairs to his new room and came down with a CD in his hand. I nodded toward Allie and he gave it to her. Then I handed his game back to him. They stared at each other for a while then went opposite directions. And what I'm about to do is going to make them mad, now.

"Jamie, Allie, I think its about time you put the games up. You guys need to do something else, now. You both have new books. Go read for a bit. Or you an go out in the back yard and play." I said.

"But Dad!" They both said. I smiled. I loved that they called me dad. I wanted to live up to the word.

"You heard me. Go do something else for awhile. I want you to bring the games in here and put them on the counter so I know you're not playing them." I said. I put their dinner in the oven so it could cook. I set the timer and walked into the living room to find Allie toying with my guitar.

"Do you play?" She asked as she looked up from the instrument. I nodded. "Will you play something for us?" I just nodded again and walked over to her. I picked up the guitar and sat on my stool that always sat beside it.

"What do you want to hear?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders and I instantly picked a new song that I had learned.

I strummed the first few notes and knew they would pick up on it. Their mother loved this band. I saw their eyes light up as I started to sing.

_  
With every appearance by you, blinding my eyes,  
I can hardly remember the last time I felt like I do.  
You're an angel disguised._

And you're lying real still,  
but your heart beat is fast just like mine.  
And the movie's long over,  
that's three that have passed, one more's fine.

Will you stay awake for me?  
I don't wanna miss anything  
I don't wanna miss anything  
I will share the air I breathe,  
I'll give you my heart on a string,  
I just don't wanna miss anything.

I'm trying real hard not to shake. I'm biting my tongue,  
but I'm feeling alive and with every breathe that I take,  
I feel like I've won. You're my key to survival.

And if it's a hero you want,  
I can save you. Just stay here.  
Your whispers are priceless.  
Your breathe, it is dear. So please stay near.

Will you stay awake for me?  
I don't wanna miss anything  
I don't wanna miss anything  
I will share the air I breathe,  
I'll give you my heart on a string,  
I just don't wanna miss anything.

Say my name. I just want to hear you.  
Say my name. So I know it's true.  
You're changing me. You're changing me.  
You showed me how to live.  
So just say. So just say,

That you'll stay awake for me.  
I don't wanna miss anything.  
I don't wanna miss anything.  
I will share the air I breathe,  
I'll give you my heart on a string,  
I just don't wanna miss anything

As I ended the song, I looked over to Jamie and Allie who both had wide eyes. I grinned and set the guitar down easily back into its stand.

"That was cool! You sound better than them! Your voice is so much better." Allie said.

"Thanks." I said. Then she just turned and danced out of the room. Yeah, she had to hang around Alice too much.

"Can you play anything else?" Jamie asked. I looked back him. He really did look a lot like me. On the phone when he had arranged all this, Bella had said he looks just like, but I didn't think he would this much like me... It just wasn't expected.

"Yes. But now isn't the time for that. I need to go finish your dinner and you need to go get washed up. Go tell your sister to wash her hands before she comes back down here." I said and stood up to walk back into the kitchen. I looked at the timer and there was only 4 mintues left on it. I waited for the timer to go off and then took out dinner and set it on 3 different plates. I got three cups and filled them with ice. I set the table and called the kids down to the kitchen.

"Whats for dinner?" Allie asked as she walked in. She was so graceful compared to the way her mother had been. She hadn't tripped once.

"Sit down and you'll know." I said. She looked down and smiled.

"Chicken nuggets!" She squealed. "Jamie, come on, its chicken nuggets." She yelled up the stairs.

I heard Jamie walking down the stairs. Once he was in the kitchen we all sat down and talked and, for once, things seemed semi- normal, there was just something missing. Something very important. I knew what it was, but she wouldn't ever come back...

--

BPOV(Alrighty, back to Bella.)

I woke up to a very quiet house. No one waking me up, no breaking noises, no screaming or shouting. Just silence. Its was unnerving.

I got up, making sure not to wake Alice in the process. We had both fell asleep in my bed last night after staying up until 3 in the morning. I looked over at my clock. 11:28. Crap. I was betting Alice wanted to go shopping, but I was not about to wake her up. Little pixie needed her sleep.

I walked downstairs and instantly turned the T.V. on, hoping for some break from the silence. After 14 years of noise, the silence is not something you want to hear.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I heard Alice say, and turned around to see her standing on the stairs.

"Apparently, I did." I said.

"No. Its 11:30. I never sleep past 12. Its impossible." She said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, Alice, I forgot to tell you something." I said. I paused for a minute and let that kinda sink in...

"Well, what? What didn't you tell me?" She asked, looking at herself in the full length mirror that stood on the wall across from the stairs. She winced when she looked.

"Well, I kinda set up a date thing for you and me to meet up with a co-worker of mine and his sister." I said slowly, knowing she would be either mad or excited. I was weary of both...

"What?!" She almost yelled. "Why didn't you tell me? When?"

"Tonight. 7." I said. I was expecting a scream but all she did was run up the stairs, next thing I knew the shower was running. Then I heard her run back down the stairs.

"Go get your shower." She said.

"Why?" I asked. Why couldnt she take hers first?

"Because you take longer on your hair, now go." She said, pushing me up the stairs. I went up to my room and got into the shower. I could tell this was going to be a long day, and half of it was already gone...

--

**So, there you are. Second chapter. The next one will have the Jasper meeting, and some things Edward does with the kids. But I'm not sure if thats going to a seperate chapter or not. I don't think it will. but we'll see...**

**Review please. I like to hear ideas and comments...**


	3. I'd tap that

**Just so everyone knows, Bella and Edward will be getting back together, just not yet. Don't spazz, they will see each other, and perhaps more than anyone expects. haha. Don't worry, they'll be back together soon...**

**And another thing, this story is all human... Edward and Bella are both 30. **

**This chapter is going to fun... lol. **

**--**

Ch3

BPOV

Alice and I were now in the car, headed toward the mall. Of course, we had to have new outfits for tonight, so there was no putting off this trip until tomorrow.

I kept staring out the window, missing my kids more than ever. I missed the bickering and fighting. I missed playing referee... I missed my life. But I had to suck it up and live it out.

"Bella, they'll be back tomorrow." Alice whispered. I looked over at and saw that her face was hard and she never took her eyes off the road, even though I'm pretty sure she could drive to the mall with a blindfold on...

"I'm sorry, Alice. I know I'm being sore company." I said.

"Its okay. I understand. But can I ask you something, and please don't take it the wrong way..." She said, still keeping her eyes on the road.

"Yeah sure." I said, knowing where this going. She had never asked before, but she once told me if it ever caused me problems she'd ask, and expected an answer.

"What happened?" She asked. "Why'd you leave him?"

I sighed. I knew it. But she deserved to know. She'd been wondering of the past 9 years.

"He cheated on me. I walked in the room and started cleaning one day, and I found a black bra that was not mine. It was stuck down beside his bed. I knew it wasn't because it had a little velvet on it, and I can't stand the feel of velvet. A few days later I found in the hall leading to the dorms pushed up against the wall by some girl. She was gorgeous. I left before I had to face him again. I didn't know what else to do. I just packed a bunch of random clothes for me and Allie and left. She was screaming the whole way out. She hated me for the longest time. She was always really close to Edward." I ranted. I couldn't stop myself. Once I got going, it was like I couldn't quit. But finally, I stopped.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me?" Alice almost screamed. "DAMMIT! I thought it was something more than that! Did you ever stop to think that Edward wasn't cheating on you?"

"Wha-? What are talking about?" I asked. I'll admit, I was scared. Alice has never been mad at me, not for all the years I've known her.

"Bella, you said the girl had Edward pushed against the wall, not the other way around. It could have been that she was kissing him. You know how girls throw themselves at Edward. He's gorgeous, how could they not?" She said. I thought through what she said. Yes, it was possible, but-

"But Alice, what about the bra?" I asked. Seriously? How he cover that up?

Alice blushed. This was the first time in years that Alice had actually blushed. She ducked her head a little and muttered something I didn't hear.

"What was that?" I asked.

"The bra was mine." She almost yelled, then she ducked head again like a turtle trying to hide in its shell while she cheeks flamed red.

"What?" I asked. "How?"

She took a deep breath. "Remmeber that guy James? Remember that night I got so drunk, I couldn't remember anything and I was puking for 3 hours straight the next day?"

I sat there, completely dumbstruck.

"Wait a minute. How are sure that you slept with him then?" I asked. She had told me that she didn't remember anything.

"Well the fact that I woke up with him on top of me and still partially inside me, I guessed." She said shrugging her shoulders. I grimaced. That was not something I needed to know.

Thats when all of it hit me. I had left Edward for no reason. I left him and took his kids away from him for no reason. My kids lost their dad for absolutely no reason. No reason, expect for the fact that I was stupid and selfish. In that order.

"Oh my god." I said.

"What?" Alice asked.

"Oh my God." I said louder. " I left him. I left him and I don't even have a reason now."

"Bella, lets not worry about that now. Lets just go shopping, go to that dinner, and then we'll worry about it. Okay?" She said, reaching over and taking my hand. It was comforting to know I would always have Alice beside me. I nodded to show er I understood. I couldn't change it, so I really didn't want to worry about it right now...

We pulled into the mall parking lot, and I took my time walking into the nightmare that I knew I couldn't escape. Maybe I should just embrace this and use it as a distraction from everything thats been going on. Yeah, thats what I'll do...

So I held my head high and threw myself into trying a new outfit for this occasion and another outfit for that occasion and few outfits for occasions that haven't even came up yet. Alice jabbered away, and I threw myself into that and joined her in the ramblings of a girls typical life. Before I knew it, we were walking out of the mall with too many bags to count.

"See? That wasn't so bad was it? Now we've only got an hour and a half before the dinner and that will fly by once we get started getting ready." She said, continuing her continuous talking that went on... well continuously.

"No. It was fun, actually." I said, laughing. Just then a guy in his early 20's walked by, giving me a look that clearly said he liked what he saw. He looked me up and down twice and then winked at me. I walked past him, blushing all the while. When I looked back, he had stopped to watch me walk away. I turned and did just that, walked away.

"Holy crow, did you see that?" Alice asked increduously.

"How could I not?" I asked. I was never comfortable talking to men, and that boy just looked too young.

She looked back at him. "Hmm. I'd tap that." She said.

I looked at her with a shocked expression. Did she just-? No, she didn't

"What?" She said innocently. I guess she'd noticed my my expression.

"Did you just-? Did you say-? What?" I stuttered.

"Thats what I'm asking." She said back.

"Did you say you'd _tap_ that?" I asked, putting much emphasis on the word 'tap'.

"Yeah. And I would." She said.

I just shook my head. Alice will be Alice. I had to tell myself that over and over to get the words 'I'd tap that' out of my head. It was like a sickening mantra that wouldn't go away...

We got into the car and drove to the house with Alice talking about going to see her parents for the break that was coming up soon. She was excited, and somehow it rubbed off on me. But I was excited for something different. The dinner. I was going to win my money back somehow.

We got ready in no time. 35 minutes. That has to be Alice's record.

I looked in the mirror to admire my friends work. I tilted to my head to the side as if to get a better look that way. She really did make me look good, but I could never consider myself beautiful. I didn't believe I looked bad, but I also didn't believe I looked beautiful either.

My hair was curled casually, big loose curls that you could wear just about anywhere and they'd look good. My out said something different though. I had on a black dress that went down to my knees. It had a V-neckline that made my neck look longer than it really was. Then there was a little section of jewels that was just under my breasts that connected with the V-cut. I looked- not like a mother.

I looked at Alice as she walked out of the bathroom. She had her hair spiked as usual, but it wasn't as wild. She had on a dark gray dress that only reached about mid-thigh. It hugged her breasts and then fell loosely around her body. The straps were very wide and made a V on her chest, only to wrap over shoulders and connect to the back of the dress. Oh buddy, was she going to have fun with the boys tonight.

I smiled and she smiled back. This was going to be fun.

We headed out to Alice's Porsche and climbed in, careful not to crease our dresses. On our way to the restraunt, I got a call from Jasper.

"Hello?" I said as I answered my phone.

"Hey, Bella, I'm going to be a bit late, but I have a booth reserved for so just say you have a reservation under Hale and they should take care of it. You can go ahead and order your drinks, we wont be that late." He said.

"What's keeping you?" I asked.

"Rosalie is just now getting her hair done. She said her make up is going to take another 10 minutes. If she's not ready in 15 minutes, I'm pushing her out the door." I heard grumbling on the other end and guessed it was Rosalie.

I laughed. "Tell her to take her time. Alice and I can wait." I said. We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone.

"He's going to be a bit late, so he told us to go ahead and order drinks when we got there." I told Alice, and she nodded. She had been really quite the entire time.

"Alice? Something wrong?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. I just feel... nervous, I think? Which is weird because i never get nervous. I feel like something big is going to happen. I don't usually get feelings like this, but when I do they're usually right." She said seriously. I nodded. She had had these before, when we started school, which was when we first met, when I met Edward, and right before I left Edward and found out I was pregnant... again.

We were quite for the rest of the ride, not sure what to think of tonight anymore. When we arrived, we slowly got ot of the car. It was so dramatic, I almost laughed.

We walked in and I instantly noticed the decorations. The dark navy blue walls with black trim. The lights were dim and candles were settled everywhere. The black and blue seats were spead out generously in the enormous room so everyone would have a fair bit of privacy. There was a bar that had shot glass sitting behind it. The light buzz of conversation drifted through the air, but none of it was distiguishable.

We told the waitress about our reservations and she led us to a secluded booth. We slid in and began to talk when we noticed the waitress still standing there. I looked up at her expectantly.

"Drinks?" She asked as she looked up from my body. Oh, god, she was not.

"Uhm... I'll have the Long Island Iced Tea." I told her, not even looking at the menu that she had just handed us. I just wanted her to get away from me. Having men look at me was bad enough, not the women too...

"Yeah, and I'll have the Dry Martini." Alice said, said trying to hold in her giggles. She shut up when the waitress gave her the same look though.

"Anything for you two." She said, trying to be seductive. It actually may have worked if we weren't straight. The lesbian waitress then walked off to fill our orders. I looked at Alice to see that she had the same look I did. Oh My Gosh.

"Thats two hits today Bella. One from a guy, one from a girl. Nicely done." Alice said.

"Hey, the girl was hitting on you too." I said back to her. The waitress then returned with our drinks and sat them each down a little slower than necessary. What was the point of that?

"That was fast." I said to no one in particular. She smiled, but thankfully didn't say anything. I only just caught what my comment could mean after I said it. She walked away again after we told her we weren't ready to order yet.

Alice and I were in a very intense conversation (well for her. It was about shoes) when I felt that we weren't alone anymore.

"Good evening ladies." I heard Jasper say. I looked up and there he was in a dark gray button up shirt, black blazer and black pants. The top two buttons were undone, giving a view of his chest. The colors contrasted nicely with his pale skin and dirty blonde hair. Beside him stood a supermodel. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed supermodel. She had the perfect body, and a flawless face. Her long blonde curly hair was styled perfectly and her tight burgandy dress showed off her perfect curves. She was just perfect.

"This is your sister?" I asked, still looking at her.

"Yes. This is Rosalie." he said.

"And why didn't the perfect genes get passed to you?" I asked. I heard Alice mutter something I didn't understand then take a drink. Apparently Jasper, who was standing closer to Alice, had heard her though, because he smiled and slid into the seat next to her. I looked over to Rosalie. She didn't look too happy to be here.

I scooted over for her to sit beside me, and she hesitantly took the seat.

"So, Rosalie, where do you work?" I asked. I hated small talk, but I had to start somewhere.

"I.. uh.. I work at Harvey's." She said quietly.

"The Body Shop?"

"Uh, yea."

"Wow. Impressive. Are you any good?" I asked.

"She's the best. Can fix any car of any model. She can get any part she wants. She's got connections like no one knows." Jasper said.

Rosalie smiled. "You'd be surprised at the service a girl can get." I grimaced.

"What?" She asked.

"Hmm?" I asked back.

"What was that face for?" She asked venomously. I could tell I had made her mad. I shrugged.

"It just has to suck because I bet thats the only attention you get from guys. Sexual attention. I'd hate it. Guys are scumbags when it comes to good-looking girls." I said, trying to recover her good graces.

She smiled and nodded. I looked at Jasper and he had his eyebrows raised. I smiled.

"Most of them, yeah. So, Jasper told me you have kids?" I nodded, taking note of the way she dismissed the guy topic.

"Two of them. Allie and Jamie, girl and boy." I said. I looked to Alice, noticing she hadn't said anything this entire time to see her throwing glances at Jasper. Absolutely fantastic.

"How old are they?" She asked.

"Allie is 14 and Jamie is 9." I said.

"Wait, you're like 30 right?" She asked. I nodded. "So you were only 16 when you had the first one?" I flinched, but nodded nonetheless. No point in lying now, she was a mechanic, naturally good at math.

"How did you manage?" She asked. I shrugged.

"It wasn't that hard. I had a little money from my parents, and the job I got payed good enough to support all of us. I managed." I said. I wasn't in the mood to talk about that.

"Uhm, I'm going to go the bathroom." Jasper said suddenly. He suddenly got up and ran to the bathroom. What was his problem?

I shook my head. Then our waitress came back over to take Rose's drink, and she also ordered for Jasper. When she noticed te girl looking at her like she had me and Alice, Rose glared at her. Not only did she glare though, she shot 10-foot daggers at that girl. Now I could see how she kept the guys in line.

"Uhm, I need to go to the bathroom too." Alice said. "That drink is taking its toll" She shot out of the booth and disappeared behind a corner. Rose laughed.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "They went to the same bathroom." She said. My mouth dropped. Oh, she was not.

Somehow Rose and I ended up throwing ice cubes at people and watched at they looked around aimlessly to figure out who threw it. It was very entertaining. We were laughing hysterically at a guy who almost fell out of his chair because he jumped so high when we hit him.

Jasper walked out a few minutes later with a serious case of sex hair. That only made the two of us laugh harder.

"What are you two laughing at?" He asked when he sat down. He was a little breathless, and that just sent us into a fit of giggles.

"Nothing" I said once I got enough breath to say something.

"Oh, its something, but I don't want to know what it is." That just made us start laughing again. Then Alice walked out, and her hair seemed a little spikier than before, and her dress was uneven.

I looked at her, and she from the look she gave me, she knew I knew. She smiled sheepishly.

"Apparently, you'd tap that too." I muttered just loud enough for everyone at our table to hear. Alice and Jasper blushed, while Rosalie and I started laughing again. I was surprised at how well we were getting along, but maybe it was just the alcohol.

Then a guy in a waiter uniform showed up. I looked at him in curiousity. Didn't we have a female waitress before?

"Hello, I'm Brent, I'll be your waiter this evening." He said politely.

"Didn't we have a girl?" Alice asked.

"Ah, yes, she took the evening off. Said she's not feeling too well." He said. Then he asked for our orders. We all ordered something different, except Jasper, who got the same thing as Alice.

We sat in silence now, not sure what to say to each other. Alice had just screwed Jasper in the bathroom and Rosalie had just thrown ice cubes at people and laughed hysterically at Alice screwing Jasper in the bathroom. There wasn't much left to do.

Soon our food came and we continued to be silent. All through the meal, no one spoke a word.

Finally, after we had finished and our plates had been taken from us and desert was served, Jasper broke the silence.

"Why hasn't anyone said anything?" He asked.

"Not entirely sure." I said. "There's not really much to say I guess." I shrugged. I wasn't used to silence, so I had no clue how to handle this situation...

"Well, lets play a game." Alice said excitedly.

"Seriously, Alice? We're adults, not teenagers." I said.

"Oh, come on, Bella. Its a good way to get to know each other." She begged.

"Oh fine. What're we playing?" I asked.

"I've Never.' We just need shots." She said, as she waved her hand in the air to flag down our waiter. He finally walked over after about 5 waves.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"Yeah, we need 16 shots of Cuervo. Put them on a spin tray, please." She said. He nodded and walked away. Not 5 minutes later he returned with the shots and tray.

"Ok, you all know how to play this game?" Alice asked.

Rose and Jasper nodded while I just shook my head. I had never heard of the game before.

"Well, Bella, some will make a statement starting with 'I've never' and if you have done it before then you take a shot. The one who took less shots is the winner."

"Oh, so the point of this game is to find out your sexual sercrets while getting drunk. Whoever came up with this is just brilliant." I said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.

"I'll go first, then we'll rotate clockwise." She said. "Ok... I've never gotten anyone pregnant, nor been pregnant." She said. I rolled my eyes. She was such a cheater. However as I took my shot, I noticed Rosalie had also taken one... I gave a questioning look.

"We don't have to explain." She said as she looked at me, then down at the table. "I've never kissed a person of the same sex." She said as she picked up a glass and down it. I picked one up too and grimaced before downing my also. I looked up to see Rosalie staring at everyone...

"Everyone has kissed the same sex?" She asked. We all nodded. I looked to Jasper.

He shrugged while still looking down. "I was drunk." was all he said. Then he looked at me. "Who'd you kiss?" He asked.

I blushed and looked to Alice. His eyes flared to life. "Oh, I've got to hear about this." He said.

Luckily, Alice took it. "We were at a party and buzzed. I know we weren't drunk because neither one of us was laughing that hard yet. We wer dancing together and all these people kept telling us to kiss. So I kissed her. For a long time." She said. I laughed, and soon everyone joined in.

"You have to admit Alice, that night was fun." I said.

"Yeah. It was." She said.

"Ok, my turn." I said. I decided to revenge on her. "I've never screwed a stranger in the bathroom." I said. Alice glared at me but took the shot, as did Jasper. Rosalie and I had started laughing again.

"I've never had sex in a dressing room." Jasper said. Oh, I hated him. The one thing I tell him and he goes and pulls this. Luckily I wasn't the only one. Rose and Alice took a shot too. I smiled at him. There were only five shots left one the table. This was going by fast.

"I've never done anything sexual in front of everyone." Alice said. I smiled. That I had never done. Rosalie, however took another shot. I laughed at her.

"I've never had sex." She said, and picked up a glass. Everyone else did too. Now, they were completely gone.

"Why did you say that one? You knew everyone here had had sex..." Alice said, somewhat disappointed.

"It was time for it to end. I need to go, so Jasper, you ready?" She asked as she stood from the booth.

"Alright." He said, waiting for Alice to get up so he can leave. She looked pleadingly at me. I took the hint and got up to leave.

"Come on Rose." She looked at Alice and Jasper and rolled her eyes. We walked around the corner and stood there, waiting. After about 3 minutes they finally came to find us. We said our goodbyes to each other and departed. It was a odd though, because we had to walk in the same direction until we got outside, so it was like we said our goodbyes too soon. So we said them again.

When we got over to the car, Alice was already bouncing and I could tell the ride home was going to just spectacular.

--

**So, there you have it. I always like the idea of Alice and Jasper instantly falling for each other the moment they each other. And, since I'm not going to put it in the story, Alice was torturing Jasper under the table. Thats why he had to go to the bathroom. haha...**

**But I've always liked Rosalie, so I made her kinda nice. If you want me to make her mean, just say so, I'll put a little mean scene somewhere in here. I'm not sure if its going to just be the alcohol that made her nice or not yet... Let me know what you think!**

**But anyways, you'll be my new best friend if you review! Please??**

**Review! Let me know if you liked everything, or if it just sucked. I want to know...**


	4. With Me?

**You call all thank E.C. Cullen for the motivation to get me going on this. I almost didn't want to finish this chapter until later, but she wanted me to, so this one is dedicated to her... Have Fun!**

--

Ch 4

EPOV

I woke up to a shake on my shoulder. I looked over at my clock and saw that it was 3:27 a.m. I groaned. Why was I up at the ungodly hour? Then I felt it again, that light shake on my shoulder. I turned over to see a little body outlined in the dark. I sat up slightly.

"What's wrong Jamie?" I asked.

"I had a bad dream. Can I sleep in here with you?" He whispered.

"Yeah, come on." I said, scooting over to give him a little more room. He turned away from me and pressed his back against me to get comfortable. I instantly wrapped my arms around him, and wondered where such a natural movement came from. But I was too tired to wonder about it for very long.

I was woken up again by my shoulder shaking again. I opened one eyes at a time to see Jamie shaking me awake. The sun was shining brightly behind my curtains letting me know it was late in the morning. By the light, I could tell he had the same highlights as me in his hair. I smiled.

"Dad, I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?" He asked.

I rolled over and swung my legs off the bed, slowly dragging myself awake. I stretched and yawned.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked.

"Well, mom usually makes scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon." He said, licking his lips.

"Then scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon it is." I replied, walking down to the kitchen with Jamie hot on my heels.

I got out the eggs and asked Jamie how many he wanted. He said 2 and told me Allie eats 2 also. I cracked 6 eggs in a bowl, added milk and cheese and mixed it up. I sprayed a pan and put the eggs in it, turning the burner for them to start cooking. I went ahead and put the toast in the toaster for it to cook too. Then I took out some bacon, cut the pieces in half and put them in a skillet. By that time, the eggs were cooked perfectly, so I just tossed them around in the pan a little and then seperated them on the plates...

I had just finished everything when Allie came down with wet hair. Apparently, she had just gotten out of the shower. I could smell my shampoo on her.

"Hey, Allie, you're just in time. I just finished breakfast." I said, sitting a couple different kinds of jelly on the table. I pulled out my chair and sat down, signalling for her to do the same. Jamie was already sitting down and was about halfway through his eggs. The kid was hungry.

Allie ate her food and then went back to her room, being unnaturally quiet. I decided to go talk to her, see what was wrong.

"Allie?" I called as I knocked on her door.

"Come in." She said quietly. I walked in to see her sitting on her bed reading a book, Looking almost just like her mother had when I had showed up unexpectedy on an early Sunday morning. She had been reading Pride and Prejudice for the fifty somethingth time. I pulled my mind from memory lane to look at the title. Pride and Prejudice. Typical.

"You seemed really quiet at breakfast. Something wrong?" I asked, sitting down on her bed.

"No. I'm fine. I just miss mom is all." She said.

"Oh." I wasn't surprised she missed her mom, but I expected Jamie to get like this before her. Maybe he was just too small to care...

"But, its fine. I'm fine. I just wanted to be alone for a while. I'll be down in a bit. I just wanted to read a little bit." She said. She was just like her mother. Dismissive and a major reader.

"Alright. You can always call your mom if you miss her that much. But you'll be back home with her tomorrow. Its not that much longer." I said. "Do you want to go to the park? Maybe that'll take your mind off of it for a while." I was trying to distract her, make this time go faster and let them have fun.

"Yeah, that sounds fun. Can we have a picnic?" She asked, suddenly excited. I smiled.

"Yeah, we can have a litle picnic if you want to. You want to put it together?" I asked. I didn't know what to put in a picnic...

"Yeah. I'll get Jamie to help. Do you have a picnic basket?" She asked.

"No, I dont, but I do have a cooler. That should work better." I said and went into my room to get my cooler out of the closet.

--

We were now back at home. I was sitting on the couch with Jamie fast asleep in my arms and Brother Bear 2 playing in the background Allie had curled up beside me and was now breathing deeply. I shifted slightly to get out from under Allie so I could carry Jamie up to bed, but all that did was make her shift further onto me. Finally I just laced my arms under her torso and further under her legs, making her curl into a ball against me. I wrapped Jamie up the same way in my other arm and carried them both upstairs.

It was easier in theory. I couldn't get through the doors too easy, having to wegde first Allie then myself, and then Jamie throuhg there. Luckily, there was only one door.

I layed Jamie down on his bed carefully, and, with difficulty, pulled him under the blankets so he wouldn't get too cold. Then I walked down the hall to Allie's room with much more ease now that I only had one body and pulled back the blankets to avoid having to pull them out from under her when I layed her down. After pulling them back, I put her in her bed and then pulled the blankets back up around her. I looked down at her and realized for the first time she really was her mother's daughter. Yes, she looked like me, but she had her mother's nose, her mother's lips, and her mother's soft skin. She was so much older since I last saw her. 14. I had 9 years of this beautiful girl's life. I felt so guilty. I had never attempted to get them before just over 5 months ago. Yes, I had known about Jamie for some time, and I had always wanted to be the father he needed. But Bella wouldn't let me. She would talk to me that much, just say that they were fine the way things were, and I didn't want to disrupt my children's lives, so I stayed out. At the time, I thought it was best. Now I realized how much I had missed.

I grit my teeth to keep the tears from leaking out. They were here now. Wasn't that what really mattered? Yes. Yes, it was.

I did have one question to ask Bella tomorrow though. Why had she suddenly decided to let me have them? Why had she let me take them for some of the weekends? I hadn't asked. I had before, but this time, she suggested it, and of course, I agreed. I missed Allie, though she wasn't the same now, and I had wanted to meet Jamie for 6 years now. 6 years. That sounded a lot longer than it felt. I couldn't even remember what I had been doing for the past 6 years...

I turned and finally walked out of Allie's room. I shut the door enough to just leave a tiny space between the door and the paneling. I creeped down to my room and walked in. I threw myself on the bed, and the groggy sleepiness that follows after a long day hit me all at once. I was asleep within a few seconds of my head hitting the pillow.

--

BPOV

I woke, yet again, to silence. A peircing silence that unnerved me, again. I didn't like this. I wanted my kids back, and I wanted them back now.

I thanked God that today was the day they were coming home. Friday seemed like forever ago, and I wasn't entirely sure if I was willing to do this again. I missed them way too much...

I went through my morning routine in a daze, not even really knowing what I did to my hair. Well, until Alice came over.

"Oh. My. God. Bella, what did you do? Your hair is something else." She said, picking up a strand of my hair that was too tangled with the rest of it to really distingush it.

"I tried to style it. It didn't work. And that is why I don't do it." I said, shaking my head, trying to get it loosened up. I knew what Alice was going to do.

She picked up a brush and I squeezed my eyes closed, knowing the pain that was about to come. And surely enough, I felt my scalp be pulled off while she steadily dragged the brush through the rat's nest that was my hair.

After 2 hours and many painfully pulls, pokes, and prods, Alice had my hair styled into neat waves that went full out curly at the bottom. She even did my make-up, which I was grateful for. I didn't want another disaster.

"Now go change into something else. If its not worthy of my approval, I will pick something out for you." She said, waving her hand dismissively. I got up and walked over to my extended closet, which was only extended because Alice had done it for my birthday... Evil little pixie always got her way.

Looking through my closet, I realized Alice had actually trusted to pick out my own clothes. Alice had trusted me to pick out my own clothes? Since when?

I shrugged, not really caring why, but thrilled that she had allowed it. I looked carefully through my clothes, making to pick something descent so Alice would let me do this more often. Her outfits were always a little over-the-top.

I decided to wear a navy blue cashmere V-neck sweater that was perfect for the weather. The V was cut really low, so I put a white cami under it, and pulled out a pair of dark wash jeans. After I was dressed I walked down to Alice, who grinned wildly when she saw me.

"I knew it was time to let my little birdy take flight. You have learned well, grasshopper." She said, in that freaky old grandpa voice.

"Great." I said. "First I'm a bird, then I'm a grasshopper. Next, I'll be a snake, and then I'll be the whole dang Circle of Life." I said sarcasticly. She just laughed.

"I've always loved your sense of humor..." She muttered. "Alright, well, I got to go and so do you." She said. I looked to the clock instantly and almost choked. I had 5 minutes to get my stuff and go.

I ran up the stairs to get everything. Purse, shoes, ect. Then I ran back downstairs and had to search the kitchen then the living room for my keys, only to find right in front of my face in key holder. That should have been a given.

I practically tripped all the way out to my car. Why was so nervous? I was only picking up my kids. From their gorgeous father. That I haven't seen for 9 years. This was so nerve-racking!

I clambered into my car and put on some soothing music, trying to calm myself down... I started the car and turned on the A/C, hoping to get some of the humidity out. I leaned my head back on the headrest and took a deep breath. At feeling my heartbeat slow down I raised my head back up and put the car into reverse.

I drove all the way to Seattle in a daze. It was crazy. I was crazy. I didn't need to be thinking about Edward at all. He had moved on, like I was supposed to. I just couldn't bring myself to do it though. He had cheated on me, or so I thought, and that was completely unacceptable to me. If he wanted to be with someone else, then I would give him that freedom, but I didn't want to be in the middle of it.

But I can't have that state of mind anymore. He hadn't cheated on me at all. It was the girl's and Alice's fault. They were the reason me and Edward didn't have that happy family. I didn't try to mad at Alice, it simply wasn't possible, but if it was also my fault. If I just taken the time to listen to him... that was my biggest regret.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I had pulled into the school parking lot. I instantly noticed a silver Volvo parked in the same spot with a gorgeous male leaning against the door and looking toward the playground. I pulled up beside him and followed his gaze. What I saw astounded and hurt me all at the same time. They were playing together. Allie was pushing her brother on the swings, and they both had the same beautiful bright smiles on their faces. They were happy. And I hadn't been there.

I looked back to Edward to see him staring at me. His eyes were glazed over and he had a hard, distant look on his face. It was like he was here, but he was _here_ here. I could easily tell he was thinking, and apparently concentrating on it very hard. I blinked once, and just barely caught his head whipping back to face the kids.

I took my time getting out of the car, pulling myself out reluctantly. I did but didn't want to face him. He was intimidating, but I was still drawn to him. I didn't want to deal with the confusion at the moment.

I walked around the car and leaned against the passenger door, trying to shake some of the stiffness out of me. I could feel my muscles twitching, and that just unnerved me more. Didn't I just say that I didn't want the confusion of all this?

I risked a glance at him to see him still looking at the playground, wide eyed. I looked at them again to see Jamie hanging upside down on the monkey bars and Allie steadily tickling his ribs. He was squirming every way he could to get her to stop, but you could tell he really didn't want her to, otherwise he would have pulled himself up.

"They've been like that all day." I heard a smooth voice say. I looked at Edward, questioning. He nodded toward them as if to answer my unspoken question that way. "Sticking together. Playing together. No fighting, no arguing. Its like they're depending on each other for something, but I can't tell what it is..."

What? What the hell was that? "Since when are you a therapist?" I asked.

"Since never. I can just tell. They had they're normal sibling fights friday and yesterday, but not today. I think all this happened a little too fast for them. They were taken from their mother too soon, I think. Everything changed too fast. Too drastic." He said quietly. I could he was hurt from it, I would be too, but he was probably right. It had all happened so fast, maybe they were suffering for it.

"I'm sorry." I said. What else was there to say?

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I should be the one apologizing. I rushed into this, and now our kids are suffering. I'm so selfish, and this is the results of it." He was looking down now, looking so guilty it was almost comical, if it hadn't been so sad.

Of course, Edward had to blame to himself. Always. It never failed, not even 10 years ago. If I has went out and killed someone he would have said he hadn't been around enough to stop me and that it was all his fault. It was just the way he was...

And, truthfully, it was already pissing me off.

"Its not your fault Edward. This was how it was supposed to go. We were supposed to let you visit with them, and see how well they reacted with you. They're fine, they're kids, they'll adjust." I said. And they would. They always did.

"It is my fault. They wouldn't have had to do this if I hadn't pushed it. If I hadn't-"

"If you don't stop that, you'll never see them again." I said. I glared at him. It was so annoying and frustrating when he did that. "I don't want to hear that when I come to pick up my kids. Something like "Thank you for doing this, Bella, I really appreciate it. They're amazing kids, and I really look forward to next time" would be nice." I said sarcasticly.

He rolled his eyes. "Thank you for doing this, Bella, I really appreciate it. They're amazing kids, and I really forward to next time." He said. "But I don't think there should be a next time unless they really want to." He added.

"Edward, seriously? they were estatic to come here. So the first weekend was little rough, when is first things not rough? It'll just take a few times to get used to. Heck, this is pretty good considering Jamie's kindergarden year. He cried everyday and begged me not to make him go. It was heartbreaking, but necessary." I said. I looked over to them again so see them both on the swings, steadily climbing higher.

"Is this heartbreaking too?" He asked quietly. I almost didn't here him, so I passed it off as just that. Like I didn't even hear him.

"Allie, Jamie!" I yelled. Their heads instantly snapped to me. I smiled, but almost screamed as Allie jumped out of the swing. At the height she was at, she could have broken her arm...

Jamie slowed down and was soon low enough to jump out too. He was halfway to me when Allie crashed into me. My grin widened and I wrapped my arms tightly around her. I buried my face in her hair just in time to feel another body slam into me. I pulled one arm away from my daughter and wrapped it around my son, holding them both closer than I thought possible, but not nearly close enough.

"I missed you guys." I whispered.

"I missed you too, Mom." Allie said, and Jamie just nodded his agreement. I pulled back and smoothed their hair down, trying to hold back the tears. Luckily, I succeeded. I stood and looked at Edward, who was staring. He suddenly turned around and opened the door, bending down to pop the trunk. He walked around, opened the trunk door, and pulled out the bags with the same expression the entire time. The same calculating, hard expression as always...

He carried the bags over to me without ever actually looking at me. He looked at my forehead, my nose, my hair, but never my eyes. I let him put the bags in the back of my car and watched as his muscles stretched with his body as he reached up and slammed the door down.

"Hold on, I've got one more thing for them." He said, and I followed him back to his car. I vaguely realized that the kids were staring at us, watching our every move. He reached into the backseat and pulled out a skateboard and a volleyball. I smiled at him. I knew Allie had been wanting to start volleyball, and Jamie was extremely into the skateboarding thing. I took the toys from him carefully, sliding the skateboard under my arm and holding the volleyball in the same hand, leaving one arm free to open my door when I got back to my car.

I smiled at him again, and shifted my weight. "Well, I guess I'll see you in a couple weeks." I said as I turned around. As I took my first steps away from him, I felt his hand slide onto my wrist. He didn't grab my hand, he slid his hand gently around my wrist, just like always. Well, just like 10 years ago. And just like 10 years ago, an electric shock vibrated through my body, extending from where his hand rested all the way to my toes. I stood there, waiting. For what? I have no idea. But I waited.

"Bella?" Why did that sound so amazing coming from him? He had said my name couple times today, but it didn't sound like that. What is the touch? Or was it the fact that my heart was racing faster than a space shuttle heading to Pluto? Or maybe the whole stomach dropping out my butt thing? How about the invisible huge pill I had apparently just dry-swallowed? My body was on overdrive, and my head was spinning. Why did he have to so damn irresistable?

"Yes?" I choked out as I locked my joints and muscles in place to keep shivers away and to keep from falling.

"I was thinking maybe, if you want to, if you're not busy, next weekend the kids and you could go to the zoo? With me?" He asked. I still hadn't turned around to the very, very slowly fading static. I looked down at my hand to see his hand fluttering away from mine. I rejected the absence, and I automatically reaced back out for his hand, pushing my wrist into his palm. His eyes jerked to my face, and mine went straight to his. We stayed for a moment, and then jumped apart like two teens caught in the act for the first time.

It was so dramatic. There was silence for a good 5 seconds until he looked away. Then the kids started yelling. I couldn't understand what they were saying at first, but then I heard the 'yeah's and the 'woo's.

"So you guys wanna go?" I asked the kids, trying to keep my voice from shaking or breaking.

"Yeah!" They both sreamed. I nodded, letting them know we would go. I looked back to Edward and nodded again. Then I hurried to the car and opened my door, throwing the forgotten toys into the backseat and waiting for the kids to climb in. After what seemed like forever, they were in the car, and we were pulling away. What had I just agreed to?

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**Alright, so I'm really sorry for the long wait. But hopefully the long chapter makes up for it? Right? **

**So, personally, Breaking Dawn was a bit disappointing. It just didn't fit right. But, maybe thats just me...**

**If there are any grammar problems in this, I'm sorry. But, I wanted to get up as soon as possible...**

**Well, review please??**


	5. Allison Raine Cullen

**I am so so SO sorry for the wait... Things were happening that I couldn't stop. Thats just life, I guess.**

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Ch 5

BPOV

I loaded the car down with our bags. We had spent all week anticipating the zoo trip that we were going on with Edward. I was especially looking forward to it. The kids didn't know that though...

I was almost calm enough to call the kids out. I had come out here to occupy my mind and get it off Edward. And, surprisingly it worked! Today was going to be... interesting, to say the least.

"Allie! Jamie!" I called, then heard the rushed footsteps of my kids running down the stairs. And, of course, the unmistakable crash of something breaking.

"Shit" I muttered to myself, and ran into the house, wondering what was broken and who was hurt. I ran through the doorway to find Allie laying on the floor, sobbing, and Jamie sobbing beside her. The sight in front of me made my heart leap into my throat, then drop out of my ass, all in about a 3 second span.

"I d- didn't mean to, mom. you know how I am. I feel, and she was in front of m-me." Jamie stuttered. I walked over to Allie, kneeling down beside her. I lifted her up and checked over her face and body for open wounds. Shit. The bone of her arm was sticking out at the joint of her shoulder. Blood had covered her arm and half her torso by now. Everything was torn apart except a few tendons and straps of skin holding it together.

"Oh, baby, lets get you to the hospital." I said, picking her up and rushing to the car. She was tiny enough to stay in my lap as I drove, so I just jumped in, made sure Jamie was in the car, and took off down the familiar road. I bent over her, shielding her instinctively, though from what, I wasn't sure. I just hoped this wasn't as bad as it looked.

We got to the hospital and I rushed into the emergency room, yelling all the way. I called for Mary Anne, our usual, but only Tiffany was here today. She yelped when I approached her with my bleeding daughter.

"Help us." I said weakly. Allie had passed out on the way here. All I could do was cry. I couldn't move it in case I hit the wrong nerve. All I could do was hope.

"Oh, dear. Bella, I'm sorry, but Dr. Cullen isn't in right now. He's away on vacation. And Dr. Harrison in surgery, along with Dr. McGee." She said.

"Then find somone!" I screamed. My heart beat was pounding in my ears, and my head felt like it was about to combust. For God's sake, my daughter was dying in my arms. I couldn't deal with that!

"Alright, I'll call the surrounding hospitals, see if they have anyone in." She said. Then she yelled for the staff to do what they could. My daughter was taken from my arms and into another room. When I tried to follow, they told me I couldn't see her until they had her stabilized.

"Bella, I have to be honest, it doesn't look good. She's lost so much blood, she has about a 40 percent of living through this. And that's only if we get a doctor in time. She'll have to go through many blood transfusions, and she's actually having one now. We have it wrapped and the blood flow is less, but it wont stop. We have to get a proper doctor in here."

I stopped breathing. This couldn't be happening. My daughters life was pure chance.

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**I know its short, but hey, its something. The next chapter may not be up for awhile because... well, just because.**

**Sorry for the wait! But reviews would be great!**

**--**

**Haha... you guys so thought I was going to leave you there... no, I'm not that mean... but I should have... lol. **

**I expect reviews!**

**--**

"Have you found one?" I asked.

"No. I'm sorry."

Then I had an idea. Edward had been through medical school. He knew all about this. And I'm sure he would make sure our daughter had the best treatment.

"I have a friend that's a doctor. Do you mind if I call him?" I asked.

She hesitated. I could see the conflict in her eyes. It was supposed to be them that contacted the doctor and called them in. But then she looked back to the door and nodded vigorously. I dug my hand into my pocket and pulled out my cell, dialling the number quickly. Two rings and an eternity later, he answered.

"Hello? Bella?" He asked.

"Yeah, Edward its me. I need your help. Now." I said urgently.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Edward, Allie is in the hospital and they don't have a doctor to operate on her. She's loosing blood fast, and they can't stop the blood flow." I stopped, letting that sink in. Then I heard the sound of a car starting and squealing tires.

"Give me 5 minutes. I'll be there." He said, then I heard nothing be dial tone.

I frowned. He lived a good 30 minutes away, with going over the speed limit. He couldn't possibly get here in 5 minutes.

I was wrong. He was here in 4. He rushed in, looking around frantically. I looked at Allie's door, and he rushed in. then he came back out, grabbed my arm and pulled me in with him.

The room was overly bright, hurting my eyes. The smell of blood was strong, making me woozy. With my kids bleeding all the time, I had some tolerance, but it still wasn't that great.

"Get out!" Edward barked. "No one is to enter this room until I say otherwise. I am the son of Carlisle Cullen and will have every one of you fired if you don't listen to me!" I looked at Edward who was pulling a robe and gloves on. He handed a pair to me. My eyes widened and I shook my head viciously.

"I can't" I whimpered.

"Yes, you can. And you will." He said, his voice was hard and stony.

I took a deep breath and grabbed the gloves. I pulled a robe out the drawer he had got his out of. I stepped over to the table, waiting for directions.

He peeled the bandage back from her shoulder. It didn't look any better. The arm was attached by mere fragments. And Edward didn't even flinch. He set to work.

We worked on our daughter for hours, Edward steadily stitching her back together, and me helping wherever I could. When the blood flow started getting really bad, I had to close my eyes and put my shirt over my nose to keep from passing out.

Edward wiped the last trail from her arm and looked up at me. I met his gaze, and watched the emotions behind them. My own eyes mirrored them exactly. He slowly pulled his gloves off, never breaking my gaze. Then he reached forward, grabbed the back of my neck and pulled forward to meet his lips is a breath-taking kiss.

I broke the kiss, not wanting to linger too long for the fact that I didn't want to get too caught up in him. I walked over to the trash can, pulling off my gloves and throwing them away. Then I felt Edward grab my arm and spin me around.

"I wasn't done with you." He said, then pulled me in for another kiss.

10 years. 10 years of emotions flooded through me, making me thread my fingers through his hair and lock him there against me. I couldn't get close enough. I hitched my leg around his waist and he pulled my other leg up and pushed me against the wall. Our tongues battled for dominance, and we only broke apart when on the brink of fainting from lack of oxygen. Then he moved on to my neck and collarbone, leading down to the little bit of cleavage showing, but then I would pull him back for another intoxicating kiss.

After a few rounds of this, I finally gained my mind back. I pulled back, gasping. I pushed against his chest a little to make him back up some. Once he did, I crawled off him and looked over at our daughter.

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked. He looked over at her too, and nodded.

"The only thing that might go wrong is she might not be able to rotate her arm properly, but everything everything else should heal perfectly. Just make sure she doesn't do too much with it." He said. "Bella?"

"Hm?" I asked, not looking up from Allie.

"Do you still love me?" he asked. My head shot around to look him in the eyes. They were so intense, that I couldn't look away.

"Why?"

"Because I still love you. I never did anything to hurt you, Bella, and I think you know that."

"I don't know, Edward. Lets just give this some time. We've only been doing this for a little more than a week..." I said.

He looked at me for a few minutes, then nodded and walked over to Allie.

"Lets get her to more respectable room." He said and began pushing her toward the door. I ran over and opened it for him. We got some odd stares in the halls, but didn't bother being affected by them. We found an empty room and wheeled her in. Switching her over to the other bed, I could see the tenderness Edward used with Allie, and no doubt with Jamie too.

He looked up at me once he had finished wiring her to all the machines.

"Can I ask you a question?" He said.

"Yeah."

"What's her full name?"

I tilted my head little, confused. This wasn't the question I had expected.

"Allison Raine Cullen." He gave me an odd look at the middle name, but I shrugged it off. "It was raining and I couldn't think of a name." He nodded, understanding.

"And Jamie?"

"Anthony James Cullen." I said, smiling. He smiled too. I had named him after Edward after seeing the amazing bronze hair atop my sons newborn head. But I didn't want to call him Anthony, and so I tried James. Then I ended up calling him Jamie, and it just stuck.

"Thank you Bella." He whispered.

I looked out the window, seeing the clouds roll through the sky. An oddly familiar shape in the sky. It wasn't exact, but the shape of a vague eagle rolled in the clouds, then disappeared. It was almost like I didn't see it. I turned my head back to my daughters still form and then went to find Jamie.

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**Hmm... what should happen next? Suggestions? **

**Reviews are very much appreciated... please?**


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